Page 50 of Forbidden Flame

When she took a bite, Cole looked at me. “Do you want a sub with all the fixings?”

“I’d love one,” I said as my stomach rumbled in response.

“It sounds like you need one stat.” Cole winked at Izzy.

I couldn’t help but laugh with him as I sat next to Izzy. I hadn’t felt this carefree in ages, and it was nice to have someone else prepare a meal, even if it was just sandwiches.

Cole looked in his pantry. “Unfortunately, I don’t have goldfish, but I could cut up an apple.”

“That sounds perfect.” I loved that he knew kids loved goldfish. I didn’t know what I expected from him today, but it wasn’t this. I thought we wouldn’t even run into each other, much less take the time to fix Izzy’s bike and have lunch.

Cole made my sub. “Do you want hots on yours?”

I shook my head. “No, thank you.”

“You like spicy food, Izzy?” Cole asked her.

Her nose scrunched. “No.”

“Mmm,” he hummed as he made himself a sandwich, cutting up jalapeños to place on his. He took a big bite. “Mmm. This is good. I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”

We ate while Cole told us about the cabins each cousin had built.

“Talon was the first to build. He designs light fixtures. He went to the art school in Baltimore, and when he graduated, he built the cabin and his workshop. His work took off. Then he was traveling to meet clients.”

“Who was next?” Izzy asked.

“I wasn’t living here then. I want to say it was this one or Knox’s. Maybe they were built around the same time. Then Sebastian was last. He just built his in the last year.”

“It’s kind of amazing that your cousins all live on the property.”

“After my uncle, my cousins’ father, died, they wanted to be close to their mom.”

“That’s sweet,” I said, “And I’m sorry about your uncle.”

Cole shrugged. “It was a while ago now.”

I wondered if he worried he wouldn’t be accepted here with his uncle gone. That didn’t seem to be an issue, but I didn’t know all the dynamics.

“What about your uncles? Do they live on the farm?” Cole asked Izzy.

“Uncle Jamey lives in the garage,” Izzy said.

“He lives in the apartment above the garage,” I corrected her.

“They’re police officers,” Izzy said proudly.

Cole raised his brow.

“Not exactly.” I ticked them off with my fingers. “Police, military, firefighter, and federal law enforcement. It fits with their overprotective personalities.”

“I bet they take care of you,” Cole said to Izzy.

“They’re like big teddy bears,” she said repeating what Teddy always told her.

I was happy she had them and my father. She wasn’t missing out on male attention, but I had a feeling her father’s absence represented a significant hole in her life.

“That’s good you have them.”

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